Chapter Text
“That was an admirable bit of magic, sir.” Gaius says. He mutters a spell under his breath, and I feel a healing warmth spread throughout my body, finally knitting back all the bits of me that had fallen apart. “I’ve not seen a forcecage that bright in a long while.”
“Oh, that wasn’t me.” Magic? It definitely wasn’t me. “I’m not a caster.”
He chuckles, and pats me on the arm. “Then who was it, my good lad? There was no one else up in that attic who was conscious.”
“But-” There’s no way. “I don’t even know any spells. Or spell names. Or spell words. I didn’t mean to do anything. I don’t even know what I did do. When I tested for magic at the bard academy I failed out three times.”
“There are old myths that say that some folk can cast without conscious decision.” Xenk walks up, and settles down on the bed next to me. He looks a little worse for wear, but then again, battle-scarred is almost a good look on him; and wow does he not smell like he nearly just got electrocuted to death. How does he smell so good? “They say some can draw power without training and without bounds, in times of great need.”
Gauis nods at me and heads off to places unknown. I shoot Xenk a sly look. “You think I have mystic powers only history can speak of?”
“I believe you certainly have powers of some sort.” He replies, and his voice is so honeyed that it almost takes me by surprise.
Oh, is this flirting? Are we flirting? “We don’t need to hide anymore, Xenk. I think our ruse has been utterly and completely discovered.”
“A shame.” He says, eyes twinkling. “I was almost beginning to enjoy it.”
It’s then… that I realise. The hesitance. The sly looks. The overprotectiveness.
No - there’s a not a chance… unless? Maybe he’s been playing me the whole time. “It’s funny.” I say, carefully, resolutely not looking him in the eye. “I came into all this barely being able to tolerate you.”
“Really.” He says, and slides one hand up along my knee. “Holga said different.”
Holga! Of course she did. She’d always loved to stir shit. I twitch a little at the feeling of his hand on my thigh, warm through my bardic garments. “I think we’ve both been played, Xenk. A lot of people seemed to have ulterior motives to get us here.” I’m finding it rather hard to focus. Can’t imagine why. That and all the magic stuff? Lots of loose ends. I don’t think I’m really enough in my right mind to wind them all up. All I know is that Xenk’s hand on my thigh feels pretty damn good.
“Scratch that.” I say, and look him directly in the eyes. “You saved my life. By the old laws, I think I’m in your debt.”
“And you preserved mine in return.” He replies, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into the meat of my thigh. It’s wholly distracting. “I believe in the eyes of the gods that makes us even.”
Oh, Branchala. Save me from flirting with a man whose life runs on objectivity. He’s so handsome, and so oblivious. “Xenk, if you don’t kiss me right now I will burst into flame.”
“Really?” He replies, “I thought you were not a caster. Has that changed in the last two minutes?”
Gods, I’m about to throw something at him - when I realise he’s trying desperately to hold back a smirk. I’m going to kill him. I’m so going to kill him - just as soon as I kiss that smug smile off his face. “You drive me crazy.” I snarl, and just about climb into his lap.
We return home, and nothing has changed.
Well, everything has changed - but simultaneously nothing at all.
I can do magic. Sort of. I can’t control it. Exactly. It just seems to blossom when I’m angry, or excited, or even that one time when I was in bed with Xenk and I-
Yeah.
So I might have some training to do. That bit’s new.
Kira’s grown about a foot since I saw her last. That’s new too. She reaches up higher now, and when I hug her, I feel a tiny, fleeting pang of loss. She’ll never be my baby again, but in that same moment, I’m pleased every day I get to see her grow into a young woman. She pokes at my hair and tells me I’ve gone even more grey (that bit isn’t new.)
Holga takes one look at me and laughs. Maybe it’s the magic thing, but she says I look - Well- I can’t repeat it for kindly ears to hear, but we’ll say relaxed. “I know he’d get to you.” She says, and punches me in the shoulder. “I’m always right.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Oh, isn’t it?” She challenges.
I decide to very quickly backpedal out of the conversation.
Positive news of Simon and Doric’s rebellion blows in on the breeze, and I am content. There’s plenty of gold for my troubles at the wizard compound, my friends are still living and I…
After such a long time, I have someone to come home to. A new lover. A new confidant.
It’s funny. I never thought this could work, hadn’t even considered it. And sometimes Xenk drives me crazy with his objectivity and his constant faith in people but…
I like it.
I like him .
It feels new, and it feels wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what adventures we’ve got planned next.
Fin.